From Middle English cheyne, chaine, from Old French chaine, chaene ("chain"), from Latin catēna, from Proto-Indo-European *kat-.

• IPA: /ˈt͡ʃeɪn/

chain (plural chains)

1. A series of interconnected rings or links usually made of metal.

   He wore a gold chain around the neck.

   The anchor is connected to the boat with a 100-metre long chain.

2. A series of interconnected things.

   a chain of mountains

   a chain of ideas, one leading to the next

   This led to an unfortunate chain of events.

3. A series of stores or businesses with the same brand name.

   That chain of restaurants is expanding into our town.

4. (organic compound, physical chemistry) A number of atoms in a series, which combine to form a molecule.

   When examined, the molecular chain included oxygen and hydrogen.

5. (surveying) A series of interconnected links of known length, used as a measuring device.
6. (surveying) A long measuring tape.
7. A unit of length, exactly equal to 22 yards, 4 rods or 100 links, and approximately equal to 20.12 metres; the length of a Gunter's chain; the length of a cricket pitch.
8. (mathematics, set theory, order theory) A totally ordered set, especially a totally ordered subset of a poset.
9. (algebraic topology, originally) A formal sum of cells in a CW complex of a certain dimension k (in which case the formal sums are called k-chains); a formal sum of simplices or cubes of a certain dimension in a simplical complex or cubical complex (respectively).
10. (algebraic topology, homological algebra, more generally) An element of a group (or module) in a chain complex.
11. (British) A sequence of linked house purchases, each of which is dependent on the preceding and succeeding purchase (said to be "broken" if a buyer or seller pulls out).
12. That which confines, fetters, or secures; a bond.

    the chains of habit

    • 1667, John Milton, “Book VI”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:

      Driven down / To chains of darkness and the undying worm.

13. (nautical, in the plural) Iron links bolted to the side of a vessel to bold the dead-eyes connected with the shrouds; also, the channels.
14. A livery collar, a chain of office.
    • c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592, →OCLC ↗; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii ↗:

      And gainſt the General we will lift our ſwords
      And either lanch his greedie thirſting throat,
      Or take him priſoner, and his chaine ſhall ſerue
      For Manackles, till he be ranſom’d home.

15. (weaving) The warp threads of a web.

• (series of interconnected rings or links) rackle
• (series of interconnected things) See also Thesaurus:sequence

• French: chaîne
• German: Kette
• Italian: catena
• Portuguese: cadeia, corrente
• Russian: цепь
• Spanish: cadena

• French: chaîne
• German: Kette
• Italian: catena
• Portuguese: cadeia
• Russian: цепь
• Spanish: cadena

• Russian: кандалы́

• French: chaîne
• German: Kette
• Italian: catena
• Portuguese: cadeia
• Russian: сеть
• Spanish: cadena

• French: chaîne
• German: Kette
• Italian: catena
• Portuguese: cadeia
• Russian: цепо́чка
• Spanish: cadena

• Italian: catena
• Russian: цепо́чка

chain (chains, present participle chaining; simple past and past participle chained)

1. (transitive) To fasten something with a chain.

   You should chain your bicycle to the railings to protect it from being stolen.

2. (figurative) To connect as if with a chain, due to dependence, addiction, or other feelings

   Sometimes I feel like I'm chained to this computer.

   She's been chained to her principles since she was 18, it's unlikely you can convince her otherwise.

3. (intransitive) To link multiple items together.
4. (transitive) To secure someone with fetters.
5. (transitive) To obstruct the mouth of a river etc with a chain.
6. (figurative) To obligate.
7. (computing) To relate data items with a chain of pointers.
8. (computing) To be chained to another data item.
9. (transitive) To measure a distance using a 66-foot long chain, as in land surveying.
10. (transitive, computing, rare, associated with Acorn Computers) To load and automatically run (a program).

• French: enchaîner
• German: anketten
• Italian: incatenare
• Portuguese: encadear
• Russian: приковать
• Spanish: encadenar

• French: enchaîner
• German: ketten
• Italian: concatenare
• Spanish: encadenar

• French: chaîner

1. Surname.